Non-variceal upper gastrointestinal (“GI”) bleeding typically refers blood loss originating at or proximal to the ligament of Treitz. Peptic ulcers have been identified as being a common cause of non-variceal upper GI bleeding. If left untreated, non-variceal upper GI bleeding may lead to anemia-like symptoms (e.g., fatigue, dizziness and chest pain), hepatic encephalopathy, hepatorenal syndrome, shock and death.
Successful treatment of non-variceal upper GI bleeding typically includes addressing the cause of the bleeding and ultimately haemostasis. For example, peptic ulcers may be associated with an infection of Helicobacter pylori and, therefore, may require treatment with antibiotics or the like to eradicate the infection and prevent re-bleeding. Haemostasis may be achieved by invasive surgery or by various less invasive endoscopic techniques, such as laser treatment, multipolar electrocautery, heat probing or injections with epinephrine.
While prior art endoscopic haemostasis techniques have presented some success, the re-bleed rate associated with such techniques remains relatively high. For example, the use of electrocautery to stop upper GI bleed often creates a relatively large treated zone on and around the bleeding site, thereby increasing the risk of re-bleeding.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved apparatus and method for stopping the bleeding and reducing the re-bleeding associated with non-variceal upper GI bleeding.